Urawa Reds reporting no injuries except long-termer MF Naoki Yamada.
Gamba Osaka are missing GK Kimura, DFs Kaji, Eduardo, Nakazawa and FW Kawanishi through injury. Kaji is reported as doing light training and may be considered. FWs Sato and Leandro are both reporting muscle injuries this week and fighting for fitness.

11 wins for Gamba, 5 for Reds and 8 draws since 2004, including Asian Champions League games.

Gamba Osaka have a big edge in meetings between these two teams, but are struggling big time to string results together this season. Conversely, Reds have struggled for two season, only just escaping relegation, so know all about the position Gamba are in and know that Gamba won’t go down without a fight. This fixture always produces fireworks, both on and off the field, and both teams will know that there is more than just pride at stake. Reds could go top, with the right results this weekend and do need to boost their goal difference in order to be going into the final games on level terms with Sanfrecce and Vegalta, but, of the top six teams, have scored the least goals and need to address the situation.
Gamba Osaka, on the other hand, are the second highest scorers in J1, despite their lowly position, BUT are also second highest in the goals conceded column! They have been beset by injuries, which have stopped them getting any consistency in team selection and will be hoping that forwards Sato and Leandro both make it through the week and start in this match. If their two top forwards are fit, expect goals, but don’t expect Gamba to keep a clean sheet! Reds need the likes of Haraguchi and Marcio Richardes to get among the goals if they are to move on up and win the league – will they do it today? The pressure of knowing they are so close to the top, and that they are not scoring enough goals may tell on Reds …
EXPECT a HIGH SCORING WIN for GAMBA OSAKA!

Vegalta Sendai – MF Tomita is suspended. MF Sekiguchi is injured.
Vissel Kobe – DF Okui is suspended. DF Hayashi is out for the season.

5 wins for Sendai, 3 for Kobe, and 3 draws since 2004, Sendai have won the last two.

Vissel were undone by the referee last time out when it seemed they had Jubilo in their back pocket. A red card, and an inexplicably missed foul for the winning goal gave them a defeat that they barely deserved. Centre back Inoha was missed, but will be back from suspension this week. Forming a decent partnership with Kitamoto at the back, Sendai may find it hard to get through. Vissel have the forwards, and the creative midfielder in Nozawa, to pick the pocket of a Sendai defence that has held pretty firm this season – conceding 24 goals in 25 games – and so I am expecting a low scoring game here.

Vegalta’s Brazilian forward Wilson has faltered again – a bad start, followed by a decent run, but now he has slipped back into non-productive ways and Sendai seem to rely too much on Akamine for goals and points. The fact that the back-up for these two is veteran Yanagisawa does not bode well for the busy run-in and the pressure may start to tell on the team.
EXPECT a DRAW!

Kashima Antlers – DF/MF Nakata out for at least another month, MF Yamamura at least another two months.
Yokohama F. Marinos – DF Nakazawa was carried off last week and considered very doubtful, MF Taniguchi also on doubtful list while DF Amano is out for the season.

9 wins for Kashima, 10 for Yokohama and 4 draws since 2003, but only one win in last five meetings for Kashima.

After a long unbeaten run came to an end against Cerezo Osaka, Marinos have lost three games in a row and have still registered only 31 goals all season. Their defence – which has been seen to make comical errors in recent games – has been a model of inconsistency, conceding just 28 all season but, as noted, some have been dire lapses of concentration. If, as expected, centre back Nakazawa is missing, looking on the bright side, it could be a chance to find a long-term replacement from the fringe players, no!? Marinos are not going to qualify for the ACL this season, and won’t be relegated, needing, probably only about 3 or 4 points to be safe, so it is time to try something new, blood some youngsters, plan ahead – that’s where Yuji Ono came from!

Kashima Antlers are also in limbo and, while they, also, seem to be safe now – 8 points clear of relegation with 9 to play – they could also use a couple more wins in their run-in to be sure. But would Jorginho feel safe trying new things at the risk of dropping a place or two before the end of the season and finding himself out of a job, when he could play it safe, hope for the best from his players, and climb a couple of places, delaying the inevitable – that changes need to be made.
Two teams that MIGHT experiment, but will probably play it safe and boring? EXPECT a DRAW!

Consadole Sapporo – the injury list got a lot smaller recently but recent new FW Tele will be out injured.
Omiya Ardija – FW Kataoka out injured.

2 wins for Sapporo, 7 for Omiya and 3 draws, mostly in J2 over a decade of results.

Omiya Ardija pulled out of the relegation places last week on a vital win over Sagan Tosu and will be looking to consolidate that “safe” position with a win over hapless bottom team Consadole Sapporo. This is so often when a team slips up in J1, when we all think they have an easy win! Sapporo’s injury list has cleared recently and they were still in with a chance ten minutes from the end of their tie with Reysol last week. Home advantage, the feeling that Omiya are not much better, and there may be a “shock” on the cards?

While the incoming Brazilians of Sapporo have not impressed, and Tele is still injured, Ardija’s team has struggled to find the net, with just 23 goals scored… will this game be one of weak defences being taken apart by weak forward lines? Yu Hasegawa has scored some important goals for Ardija, but is far from consistent. Or can we expect a low scoring spectacle of boredom? I am going for A DRAW here today!